9781950890996_TXT_eBook

by Barton, Kathi S.

  “I don’t like you. Not one little bit right now.” Charlie grinned at him. “Why do I have the feeling that you don’t give a donkey’s ass if I like you or not?”

  “Because I know that deep down you love me as much as I love you.” When Charlie reached for him, he backed from her. Jerking him toward her for a hug that took his breath away, she told him that she really did love him. “Also, you should know that as Caleb’s enforcer, you’ll be safer from other wolves that come along and try to kill your brother and his family. That alone should make you happy. I know it will Clare. She sort of likes you too, I guess.”

  “Are you saying that no one can take the pack from my brother?” Charlie told him that no one would even try once they saw them together. “What if they do? I mean, this superior thing, does it automatically kill off someone that tries? Magically, I mean?”

  “No. As I’m to understand it, you would kill them if they try. You’re the one that enforces the rules and regulations that Caleb puts forth.” She smiled at him again. “But I’m telling you right now, when someone tries to come here for the pack, they’ll take one look at you and know they’ll never beat you. You’re not just a pussy, but a big one too.”

  “Stop calling me that, damn it. I’m not dealing with shit as well as you are. Just give me a minute to digest this, and then I’ll be all right.” Charlie said that she’d give it her best shot, then called him a pussy again. “You are the biggest pain in the ass a man could have in his corner, did you know that?”

  “I did, as a matter of fact. But what you might not understand is that I’m serious about your wolf being bigger, but you’re sort of like that green guy that gets all puffy when he’s pissed off.” Owen asked her if she meant the Hulk. “That’s him. I guess he’s not so much puffy, but strong. That would be you now. A big ass wolf that can hurt anyone that comes around. Also, your human self can puff up to a monstrous size as well. Go ahead. Try it out now.”

  Letting his wolf take him, he felt himself growing larger than he normally would have been. Looking at his paw, holding it up where he could see it easily, he noticed that not only was it as big as Dominic’s head, but his claws were monstrous too.

  He sorta liked the idea of being able to protect his brother. Owen would also be able to protect his own family better. While he didn’t know how that made him superior, he was glad for the extra that he had. Then he looked at Charlie when he became himself again. Even in that, he knew he was larger.

  “What is it you’re not telling me? I know you’re holding something back. Tell me what it is so I can deal with that while you’re here.” She called him a pussy again. “Will you cut that out? I’m a fucking wolf, not a cat. What is it you’re holding back?”

  “Okay, but don’t freak the fuck out. I don’t need it. The first child of each generation that comes from your body will be stronger and bigger, until such time that there will never be a threat to anyone ever again that is called a Winchester wolf.” Owen jokingly asked her if they would be known as the Winchester wolves. “Yes. All wolf packs will want to model themselves after this one. All will fall short, of course, but they will be much better pack leaders and support for all the humans of the world as well. At least that is the theory. There will be others, ones that won’t believe that the Winchester wolves are anything but normal. I think that will be what they call weeding out the bad from the good. Never underestimate your strength, Owen. You might well need to, someday, kill something larger than you. You can do it. Remember that if nothing else.”

  Long after they left him there, he thought about what she’d told him. It seemed to him that being the model for all wolf packs would be more difficult than just being a wolf pack that no one cared about. Owen decided that he was going to learn all the rules that every pack knew. Learn the loopholes that might be brought up. He not only wanted to be a good pack enforcer, he wanted to be able to hold his head up high when someone asked him what made the Winchester wolves think they were so much better than all the rest. Owen wanted his answer to be more than just magic.

  Finding the rule book proved to be harder than he thought it should be. No one in his family seemed to have a ready copy of it. After searching through the boxes that his mom had stored in the basement, he found two copies. Both looked as if no one had opened them at all. Well, he would. And he’d not be without this book again. There was even a section on being an enforcer that he was going to know by heart.

  Owen was going to be the best, most fair enforcer ever known to a wolf pack. And he was going to take pride in what he did. Being what he was had taken on a different role than simply being someone to keep the family safe. Those that should, he wanted to fear him. No more being called a pussy by his sister-in-law. Out loud anyway.

  ~*~

  Tyler looked at his itinerary and wondered why he was forever behind. All he had to do was follow the chart that he’d made up for himself and he’d make things work out for him. Even allotting himself more time at each step in his day wasn’t enough to keep him from having to shift things from this schedule to the next day. He needed a keeper.

  “Are you ready for me to do this for you? Or are you going to keep moving things around until you never catch up? I can see that’s what is going to happen, you know. You’re going to reschedule yourself right out of time at home if you don’t let me just do this for you. You just have to learn to say, ‘I gotta go,’ instead of letting someone talk your arm off when they see you.” He smiled at Jazzie as she sat across from him at his desk. “You keep doing things like you are currently, and you’ll be getting less sleep than you are now, and have less time to spend with our kids and me. Or is that your plan?”

  Instead of telling her, as he had a million times before, that he had a handle on this, he just handed over his schedule for tomorrow and she handed him a baby bottle. He no more had a handle on this than he did putting one of those sleeper things on the kids. Whoever invented the way they button up one leg then the middle, with what seemed like fifty extra snaps between the legs, should have to put one on in the middle of a cold night.

  Finding his son on the floor playing with blocks made him feel better than he had in a while. When he said his name and got a smile from him, Tyler felt like a ray of sunshine came out just for him. He looked over at Jazzie.

  Tyler knew that when she was finished with his work, he’d not just have time to be with his family, but he’d eat better too. Fast food and snacks were not cutting it as far as his wolf was concerned. He’d not been able to run in a while either, and that made his wolf pissy. She was right, he did need her to look after his wellbeing.

  After putting the baby down then getting a shower, Tyler went to find Jazzie. She was on the phone with one of the people that he had in one of his rentals, she told him in a note. Tyler had been trying to hook up with this man for the past week. He wondered how she’d managed to catch him. When she was off the phone, he asked her what Burley had said.

  “He didn’t know it was me, so he answered the phone when his wife told him a woman was calling. I told him that I was recording the conversation, and that he had ten days to pay his back rent or we’d take action against him. He promises that he’ll have it paid, as well as the penalties, by ten our time tomorrow.” She handed him another schedule. “I’ve taken care that your three morning appointments are aware that you only have twenty minutes each for them. If they can’t get to their point in that time, I’m going to go into your office and drag them out. I can, and will too if they think they can bamboozle us.”

  “Bamboozle us? I doubt that anyone from this century has thought about bamboozling someone for decades. Where on earth did you hear that word?” She told him. “Ah, you’re hanging out with my dad, are you? Well, be careful that he doesn’t introduce you to too many words like that. I might have to beat your butt for it. However, that does sound tantalizing, doesn’t it?”

  “Not parti
cularly. After last night, I have to admit that I’m much too sore for a lot of things. Did you even look at your new schedule, Tyler? I narrowed it down to only those three in the morning and two in the afternoon, one of which is with your attorney. I didn’t know what you were doing with him, so I gave you the two hours you had set aside.” He did look at his schedule, and was impressed at how neatly she’d worked his schedule out. “From now on, at least until you find someone to work your office, I’ll give you plenty of time to get meetings finished. But you have to hire someone or I will.”

  “I’m seeing him about a rental that we have in the lower counties of the state. They’ve had some pretty vast flooding down there over the last couple of springs, and I want to see about the counties renting the homes for displaced families. Not the mayor and his family, like he would like. He has the money to be evacuated, while most of the people do not. What is this little mark you have here at six-thirty?”

  “Home for dinner. You won’t be taking calls then either. Nor will you work on your computer anymore after we eat. When you’re off the clock at six, you’re home with us.” Tyler started to explain to her that sometimes things came up. “Whatever you’re thinking about, it can wait until the next day. Unless it’s a fire or flooding, you are done for the day at six. If not, then the kids and I will be moving on.”

  “Oh yeah? What will I do without you and these kids?” She pouted at him and he gave in. “All right. Nothing after six. I was wondering if you really would hire me someone that would keep me on this schedule and make out my daily planner as well as you do. Not you. I want a hard assed person that can keep me out of trouble with you.”

  “I already have two people in mind. I might hire them both so that one can keep up with you during the day, and the other to answer calls for you after you’re done for the day. Shelly will not let anyone speak to you unless it’s a dire emergency.” He smiled at his lovely mate. “I’m not joking with you, Tyler. This is me putting my foot down. You’ll do this or you’ll have to face me. And your mother. She was just commenting the other day how you’re over worked. I told her that I’d take care of it. And I swear to you, Tyler Winchester, you do not want me to make sure you’re on schedule in coming home for dinner.”

  “No, I don’t think I do. And I’m so glad that you did this for me.” He pulled her up from behind her desk and held her in his arms. “Now that I seem to be free for the rest of the night, what would you like to do?”

  “Go over some of the names of the people that we’re dealing with about these rentals and such.” He looked at her with his lower lip sticking out, and she laughed. “All right, you big baby, we’ll have some fun. But I want you to know that this can only happen when you’re off at a reasonable time from now on.”

  Tyler chased her up the stairs. Her laughter fueled him on, but it was really just being with her that had him thinking that she had the right idea. When his cell phone rang, she took it from him and broke it in half.

  “Tomorrow you get a new personal number. The other one can be for business and that’s all. No more calls, Tyler. Please. It’s very lonely to have you home and not with me. You’re too busy working to be a dad or a husband to me.” He wiped away the tears that were there, and then kissed her. “Do you at least promise to make this work as best as you can? Please? For me?”

  “I promise I will make it work for both of us, love. I will spend more time here with you, and it will be quality time, not me bouncing between calls and office. I love you too much to allow this job or whatever it is to come between us ever again.” She laid her head on his chest, and Tyler was overwhelmed by the amount of love that swelled in his heart. And the need to make this work for them all. “When I have to travel we’ll do it as a family, and have the same rules on as we do here. Family first and foremost. I don’t want to miss out on anything else.”

  They made love with their hearts. Passion, something that he’d missed over the last weeks, was there now. He had missed a great deal more than he’d realized. Home. Love. His family. Tyler decided as he lay there that whatever came up over the next few days would have to wait. He needed to get his house in order. To do that he needed to find someone to help him with his burdens at work. There was only one shot at watching their children grow up, and he was determined to not miss another second of it.

  The next morning he made a few phone calls before Jazzie came downstairs. He had an answering service now set up. A new personal phone number that would be just that, personal. Tyler had also established times that he could be reached not only with the service that he’d hired, but also both the secretaries that Jazzie had been talking about. By the time breakfast was finished, Tyler already felt a great deal better. More relaxed even.

  “How about we take a trip? All of us. No business or any calls pertaining to business unless it’s a house fire or something. I might, just so you know, have to answer questions that the service has for me until they get used to my calls, but other than that, we should have some fun.” Jazzie agreed so quickly that Tyler had to laugh. “I guess I have been ignoring you a little bit, haven’t I?”

  “You have. A great deal more than I want to piss and moan about now.” She started giving instructions to the cook and butler and was making a list of things to take. Then she looked at him. “I don’t care where we go, even if it’s just down the street for a few hours, but I can pack better if I have an idea where we might be going.”

  “We’re going to see the state. It’s the best I can do on short notice, I’m afraid. I have a big camper coming here in an hour, fully loaded with food and linens. Diapers, as well as highchairs. All the stuff we’ll need except for personal items. We just need to get clothing and we’re ready to go.” She squealed as she kissed him. As she was running off to the upper floors, he heard from his dad.

  I have a favor to ask of you. He told him anything, then told him what they were doing. Well, skedaddle on out of here then. I was gonna tell you that you should spend less time at that desk of yours and be with that little wife. I think she was lonely. When a young woman as pretty as she is comes visiting us just to hang out, it’s not a good thing. We loved it, as you can imagine, but boy, she’s about as close to hitting you as I was today.

  She was, and told me that last night. I think my agreeing so quickly to having her help is the only thing that saved me from getting hit. But I took her advice. I have an answering service to deal with calls, and when we get back, I’m going to hire a staff, a large one to help me out with everything else. I do not have to do it all, I’ve come to realize. Dad laughed and Tyler had to smile. It’s a difficult thing, I’ve come to realize, to be rich. I think I was working less when I thought I was dirt poor. I’m happy to be able to provide for my family, but it’s doing me no good if I can’t see them when they need me. I wish that I could say that I learned that on my own, but Jazzie was very gentle when she pointed things out to me.

  Your momma made it so we’d have dinner every night just for that reason when you boys were younger. Even after you went away to college, we’d have dinner all together when we could. We was poor, but we made time for each other. You can bet I’m going to have this very conversation with the rest of you boys too. Your wife, she’s a smart girl. I hope you know that. He told him that he did. Jazzie told him that daily. I knew that I loved that one a lot.

  After talking with his dad, asking him to keep an eye on the house for them while they were gone, Tyler went to get some clothes packed up. He was still laughing about his dad when he entered the bedroom. Jazzie was giggling while she held up a summery outfit. It was a sound that he’d only just realized he’d not heard in some time.

  Tyler decided that he wanted to hear it more. To kiss his wife more when he wanted. He decided right then and there that he wasn’t going to live his life as a businessman—he didn’t really need to—but would live it as a man who loved his family. He was only going to get a single s
hot at this, and he wasn’t going to mess it up for money. It was good having it, but not so much fun if you didn’t use it for fun.

  By the time the rolling camper arrived, Jazzie had them packed up. The babies were in their seats, fed and napping. Tyler had a short lesson on how to drive the big rig, and after that, they were on their way. The man stopped them at the end of the driveway to show them where the gas tanks were. There were, apparently, two of the suckers.

  “Did you really buy this thing just for this week? Or did you rent it?” He told her he’d rented it for now. “We need something like this. For summer and fall. This way I can get you away more often. When we head even to the zoo, it’ll be nice to have a place for the kids to have a nap and for us to have a good solid meal. Not that they have terrible food in the zoo, but I’d like to be able to feel better about what they eat. Wouldn’t you?”

  “Actually, I’d rather they ate food that was terrible for them when we take trips like this one. And to get cranky when they’ve had enough. Those things seem silly, I know, but I’ve missed them too.” Jazzie giggled again. “Whatever you want, honey. So long as they can be kids that get messy and have fun at it. Also not afraid to try something new once a week.”

  “I think we can handle that. But I’m sure after the first or second time getting cranky because they missed their nap, you’re going to change your mind very quickly. “

  They’d driven for about twenty minutes toward the interstate when he realized they had no destination in mind. He was okay with that as well. Being spontaneous was something that he’d not done in a long while, if ever, and he thought this might be a lot more fun than he’d first thought it would be.